


(You) Forgot About Where it All Began

by Qais



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: #titsoutfortimdrake, Connor + Stephanie + Bart are mentioned, Gen, Jason is basically a mouthpiece for my own grievances on Tim's behalf, This is not very Dick Grayson friendly, Though I do love the bigbird, as Markus To said, in his infinite wisdom:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 11:53:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18690958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qais/pseuds/Qais
Summary: Bruce is back from his jaunt through time, but his sons are not okay. Jason is aggrieved on Tim's behalf, and he isn't going to stay quiet about it.





	(You) Forgot About Where it All Began

Bruce has been back for 3 months at this point, and he’s used to it by now. His sons? Apparently not so much. Bruce hadn’t thought much about the reception that he’d return to when he arrived back in the proper time and place but he certainly hadn’t expected what he’d got.

 

Dick had been obscenely pleased about it, and then immediately left for Blüdhaven. It was almost like it had been when Jason was Robin, with near no contact, and a tension whenever there was any. At least their fights of Dick’s teenage years had made sense because Bruce knew what was making Dick angry, there was legitimately something to fight about. But this stalemate is both different and worse, because he doesn’t know what’s actually causing the tension and thus, doesn’t have any idea how to go about fixing it.

 

Damian is much worse, and this Bruce is less surprised but equally disgruntled by. Damian had always found Dick easier to be around, and a large part of this was definitely Dick’s way of dealing with Damian. They got along well, and it was clear that they’d bonded quite a bit while Bruce was gone. Damian, as always, was clear with his feelings. That didn’t make the “you shouldn’t have come back” that he threw out after being reprimanded on patrol any less hurtful.

 

Jason was pretty much the only one who had improved his relations with Bruce after his return. He came by the manor more often and Bruce had run into him in the library at least twice already this month, and they were only a week in. They didn’t talk but Jason rarely took exception to Bruce’s presence, and a few afternoons had been eased away while sitting quietly in each other’s company. Bruce’s hands sometimes shook with how badly he wanted to go over to Jason and ruffle his hair, or give him a hug, but the peace was tentative and Bruce was too afraid of losing it to bite the bullet.

 

Tim, Bruce was even more confused about than Dick. At least with Dick he had a history of the behavior, even though the catalyst remained unknown. Tim was being aloof, staying at his place (and Bruce still wasn’t used to Tim living away from home), generally quieter and solemn in a way he had never been before. Bruce didn’t know much about what had transpired after his disappearance, only the bare bones: Tim had looked for Bruce on his own, Dick had taken on Batman, Damian had become Robin, and Tim had become Red Robin. Bruce knew something must have happened in order for these roles to emerge, and he could see it in the way that Tim grit his teeth around both Dick and Damian now, whereas before it had just been Damian. Jason was also more careful around Tim, in a way that denoted increased friendliness but also something akin to sympathy. Bruce couldn’t make heads or tails of it, and he hadn’t had any time to change that since he’d been back.

 

That changed one night when he walked down into the cave to find all four of his sons facing each other with tension ratcheting up to the point that it poisoned the air and Bruce could _taste_ it. Jason was standing behind Tim, who was in the chair in front of the Batcomputer. Dick was clearly just back from patrol, standing next to his motorbike. Damian was sitting on the workout mats, closer to Dick than the others. No one was speaking and it was clear that none of them had heard him come in, which was already concerning.

 

The most concerning aspect of the scene though, was the tears slowly making their way down Tim’s cheeks. Tim wasn’t speaking, wasn’t looking at anyone, facing towards Dick but staring firmly down towards Dick’s feet rather than his face. He was crying but Bruce didn’t hear any heaving breaths, much less sobs, and Tim’s face was nearly blank, in a way that Bruce could admit scared him. In the middle of Bruce’s debate with himself on whether or not to step in and ask what was going on, Jason spoke up.

 

“Apologize.” No one moved, not even Damian had something sharp to say. Bruce didn’t even know who Jason was talking to until Dick spoke.

 

His voice was even and controlled but Bruce could tell from the set of his shoulders that he was either angry or about to get there. “I did what I thought was best, I’m sorry if it hurt him, but-”

 

Dick hadn’t finished before Jason scoffed and shook his head. He let out a laugh but nobody in the room was under the impression that he was amused. “You put a big show on about not wanting to be Bruce, don’t you Dickiebird?” and Bruce has to look away for a second, because as much as he’s in agreement with his eldest on this topic, his heart always skips over it like it can’t quite get over its hurt. “Well congrats, asshole, you got all his worst traits, and you can’t even admit it, so you’re _worse_.” Jason’s voice is still quiet, he’s nowhere near yelling, but his words hit everyone like a shock. Dick straightens up, his shoulders moving back, and his lips curl almost as if he’s baring his teeth. Damian stiffens as well, looking at Dick intently. Tim, though, is looking at Jason, disbelieving.

 

“Jason-” Tim winces and stops when his voice comes out hoarse and harsh. “You don’t need to-”

 

“I do and I will replacement, shut up.” The term ‘replacement’ makes Bruce wary but Jason’s tone is soft and Tim doesn’t even blink. It’s clear that Dick and Damian are not the only brothers who became more close after Bruce’s ‘death’. “You went back on everything you ever said you stood for goldilocks,” and now Jason’s voice climbs a bit in volume. Bruce is stuck at the top of the stairs, unable to tear his eyes away. “All the shit you got angry at me for? Taking your place? Taking your dad?” This makes Bruce jerk, because he’s never heard either Dick or Jason use that word to refer to him, and Bruce can’t help but feel warm, even if it really isn’t the time.

 

“It’s different.” Damian speaks up for the first time, and his voice is sharp and scathing, the childish high pitched tone grating when contrasted with his brothers’ solemn and firm voices. “I am the blood son-” Bruce winces and Jason snags the weakness.

 

“You’re _Bruce’s_ blood son, not Dick’s. You have as much claim to Dick as the rest of us do to Bruce.” Damian visibly bites his tongue and Jason moves back to his original target. “All that shit you got angry at me for? When I was, what 12 and you were _18_ ? You forgot _all_ of that?” Jason’s eyes are flinty and Dick is pressing his lips tightly in a way that indicates he’s listening and not liking what he’s hearing. “Hell, what about all that bullshit you claimed about not wanting to become Batman, or not wanting to be Bruce?”

 

“It was a difficult situation-” Dick’s voice is much less confident than before, and all three of his brothers can hear it. So can Bruce.

 

“What the fuck ever, Dick. Look at the kid,” and Jason gestures towards Tim, who reddens but doesn’t lower his eyes. He’s stopped crying but his eyes are wide and the tear tracks and swollen eyes are not painting a happy picture. “You _took Robin away_ without even telling him, much less asking him,” and here, Bruce’s eyes widen. He doesn’t have much higher ground here but he’s still surprised. “And then you _didn’t believe him_ when he said Bruce was alive. He looked for Bruce on his own!” And this, Bruce had suspected, but his chest aches to hear it all the same. “I know I haven’t been kind to him but hell, Dick, you weren’t supposed to be me!” Here, Tim opens his mouth, clearly to protest, but Jason barrels on. “Connor died! Steph pretended to die! Bart died! Bruce died! And you just _took Robin away_ , as if you had the ability to effectively calculate _which kid needed it more_.” Now Tim is crying again, and Dick’s mouth is twisted in that way that means he’s feeling guilty and sad.

 

“They came back.” Damian is less sharp, but there is still defiance in his tone as he stands and crosses his arms. “Drake has no reason to continue-”

 

“Damian your dad died and came back and you have attached yourself to a new father figure and developed an aversion to your dad in that time. This shit doesn’t get better overnight and _you both know it_ but don’t want to admit it because then you’d have to acknowledge how badly you fucked up.” The disdain in Jason’s voice is clear as he puts his arm around Tim’s shoulders and pulls him up from the computer chair. “If you find the time to get your heads out of your asses, we’ll be at my place.”

 

With that, Jason puts a motorcycle helmet on Tim’s head, then his, and the cave is silent as they drive out. Bruce backs away slowly, and shuts the door.


End file.
